Heart and Soul Eater
by RoxyMoxie
Summary: After the defeat of Asura, a couple weeks has passed and Death City is finally back to normal. But when Maka and Soul start feeling something between them that hasn't been there before, will their souls be able to cooperate? More than that, what will everyone else think?
1. Prologue (I)

Prologue

"Geez, this is so uncool…" Soul sighed as he muttered to himself. The sun was laughing, beaming over Death City, and Soul had been with Maka in a park that day. Soul had taken his eyes off of his meister for five minutes, and when he looked back, she had fallen asleep. Granted, they had been sitting underneath a tree in the park, but still. The least she could do was be reading a book, not just sitting there and pretending to be interested in hanging out. Was she that bored? Soul wondered as he looked at Maka's calm, sleeping face, watching her chest slowly rise and fall in a steady pattern. She wasn't wearing her usual uniform that day. Today she was wearing a long-sleeved shirt and neat, iron-pressed shorts as well as some thigh-high socks. Soul just wore his orange shirt and leather jacket, as well as jeans and a black headband. He had a lot of similar clothes. It was easier to be cool that way.  
Soul was staring in the calm, clear blue sky and felt himself starting to drift off to unconsciousness, until he heard a noise that surprised him. To his surprise, it came from Maka. He turned to her sleeping body to see her face contorted in a pained expression, her eyebrows quivering and her breathing speeding slightly.

"N-no…" she mumbled, her voice shaking. "Stop, don't…!" Soul watched her curiously, his emotions still unsure of how to react. Part of him thought it was cute, another felt nervous by her pained expression. Is she dreaming? Soul wondered. He felt a pain in his chest when a tear rolled down Maka's sleeping face, and she whimpered. "Soul…" Soul stared at her, feeling his heart-rate quicken at the muttering of his name.  
"Maka?" Soul replied, leaning closer to her. "S-soul… Don't…" Maka breathed a shaky breath and stuck out her arm into the air as she slept. Soul stood up, shocked and unsure of what to do. She's having a nightmare! Soul stood in front of her, feeling hurt at the suffering his meister was going through. He did the only thing he could think of, and knelt next to her, grabbing her outstretched hand. Maka bolted awake, gasping. A final tear rolled down her cheek, soaking her collar slightly. She turned to Soul, who stood up, still holding her hand. His head was lowered, and he seemed angry. Maka felt a bell go off in her mind. _Oh no, I fell asleep!_ Maka felt scattered as Soul pulled her up.  
"Soul, I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to fall asleep, I promise!" Maka said, quickly wiping the tears she had from the dream, hoping he wouldn't notice. "I guess I was just really relaxed, and I-"

"What were you dreaming about?" Soul interrupted, his voice quiet and intimidating. There was a long pause. "What?" Maka replied. How did Soul know she was dreaming?! "What were you dreaming about?" Soul asked a bit more forcefully this time, raising his head and looking straight at her. Maka was taken aback at her weapon's outburst, and she felt her face grow hot. Her heart quickened and she lowered her head, her pigtails resting on the tear-soaked shoulders.  
"You were leaving." Maka muttered. Soul felt a pain in his stomach when she said that, and he could feel his fists clench. "You said you didn't want me as a partner anymore, and that I was weak and useless- a nuisance to you." Maka stared at her feet and the grass, her vision starting to blur from tears. "That I was a sexist, violent, stupid, and-" Soul rushed over and hugged her, quickly interrupting her rant. Her face was in his shoulder now, and her tears soaked the collar of his leather jacket. But he didn't care.  
"Shut up, Maka." He whispered as her arms wrapped around him. Her body quivered as she cried in his arms, and Soul rubbed her head comfortingly. "You're the partner I chose. I will never leave you, and that's a promise I plan to keep." Soul felt her nod against his chest, and she clenched the back of his jacket.

"Thank you, Soul." She whispered.


	2. II

The bright sun loomed over Death City, the hot, humid Nevada weather setting over the heated town. Maka strolled toward her home, a bead of sweat running down the side of her face. Her bright green eyes were glazed in exhaust, feeling as though she might just let away from the heat. She carried a grocery bag full of food to last through the next week, but she worried about the milk and cream. She didn't want the groceries to get too hot. She quickened her pace at the apartment came into view, where she was sure Soul was lounging, taking advantage of the refreshing air conditioner. No doubt napping, she thought in annoyance. She baked out in the sun running errands while he lazed about the house doing nothing. She glowered as she climbed the steps to the front door, setting a grocery bag down to grab her keys. She had locked the door when she left, and never came home to find Soul had unlocked it. Which, of course, meant he never even left the damn house. She turned the key, a click sounded, and she twisted to doorknob. She stepped into her apartment. Immediately she was greeted by the cool, crisp air, and sighed with relief as she set the bags down once more, cracking her knuckles.

"Thank goodness," she breathed, wiping her beaded forehead free of sweat. Her bangs were damp from her forehead's perspiration, and her collar was dotted with bits of moisture as well. "I'll probably have to change now, too," she muttered to herself.

Maka glanced over to the couch that sat in the living room. She noticed the TV when she walked in; it wasn't even on. Not only that, but Soul was nowhere to be found. Confused, she looked over to the kitchen. No, he's not there. She padded to his bedroom- which sat across the hall from hers- only to see small, cat-sized Blaire sleeping soundly right smack in the middle of his neatly-made bed. Maka raised an eyebrow. Where was he? If he wasn't in the living room and wasn't to be found in his shockingly-clean bedroom, she had no idea where he could be. She shrugged it off for now. Wherever he was, he'd probably wander back whenever he got hungry or tired. Which, knowing Soul, was bound to happen within at least a two hour time slot.

"At least he locked the door behind him," Maka muttered as she moved the groceries into the corner of the apartment that was the kitchen. She put away the supply of food as she heard Blaire's collar jingle with her movement.

"Maka chan~," Blaire purred as she padded into the room, her tail swishing leisurely behind her. "Did you get groceries?" She asked as her eyes moved to the plastic bags on the linoleum floor. Her eyes widened and sparkled in anticipation. "Did you get fish?!" She cried excitedly. She smiled at Blaire, nodding.

"Sure did," she reached into a particular bag and pulled out a can of tuna, opening it and setting it on the floor. Blaire gave a happy "meow!", digging in to the oily, scaly snack. Maka turned back to the counter tops, unbagging a package of salmon. "I also bought these to make for dinner," she added. Blaire purred, her tail swaying playfully.

The front door's knob twisted and jiggled before finally swinging open. Soul strolled in, one hand on the doorknob and the other hand shoved into the pocket of his jeans.

"Hey, I'm home," he called. Maka looked at him. His face was beaded with sweat, and a single drop rolled down his chin and down his neck, soaking into his already-damp collar.

"There you are," Maka called back in reply. "Where'd you run off to?" Soul shrugged, turning his head toward the small electric piano that was shoved into the corner of the living room. Maka followed his gaze, only to see a blank piece of sheet music, with small, scribbled notes jotted along the scores. She couldn't quite make out what the title of the piece was from where she stood. "What is that?" She wondered out loud. Sou shuffled over, grabbing the paper.

"Just some garbage," he muttered, folding the paper into his hand and slipping it into his pocket. "I was trying to write a song, but it wasn't very good," he explained, his dark red eyes still not meeting Maka's. "I needed a break."

"Oh, I see," she responded. She eyed the pocket that held his folded music, but decided not to pry further into it. She didn't want to get into an argument if it was something he didn't want to talk about.

"What's for dinner?" Soul asked, subtly trying to change the subject.

"Salmon!" BLaire cried, padding over to Soul's feet. She nudged his ankles with her furry head, purring. She transformed into her human self, he naked, curvaceous body wrapped around Soul's own clothed, sweaty torso. Soul's eyes widened in shock as her large breasts pressed into his back, and his face contorted in disapproval. "But I'm not going to share it with you," she added, stroking his jawline. "Unless you beg, of course~." Blaire whispered flirtatiously. Maka's cheeks burned at the sight of them together, and she lowered her head, clenching her fists. She grabbed a nearby rubber spatula and flung it at Soul's head, the utensil just missing his scalp and the rubber end smacking into Blaire's cheek. She yowled, transforming back into a small cat as she stumbled backwards. Her ears bent back as she looked at Maka with sad eyes.

"Enough," Maka growled. Her eyebrows furrowed in frustration as Blaire pouted.

"Awe, but-" Blaire protested.

"Leave him alone!" She interrupted. "Or no salmon." Blaire's eyes widened in horror.

"Okay," She quickly responded, her ears lowering. "Sorry, Soul kun..." She padded back to the bedroom, most likely to hide under the bed.

"Jeez," Soul muttered, a smirk crossing his face. "What up your ass?" Maka spun around to him, her pigtails swiveling with her movement. She glowered at him, her eyes squinted. Soul raised his hands slightly, his smirk turning into a smile. "Alright, alright. Sorry." He chuckled, moving toward the sofa. He flopped down, resting his head on the armrest and folding his hands behind his neck. He gave a long sigh as he settled. Maka rolled her eyes, slicing the package of salmon open with a fillet knife.

The next morning was grey, thin clouds slowly moving to cover over the laughing sun that hung in the sky. Maka was looking outside, standing by her desk holding the curtains open. "At least it won't be as hot," she sighed to herself. She turned to look at her alarm clock, which had gone off early again. It was Monday, but she had set her alarm the night prior. She had forgotten that classes were cancelled for a while. The defeat of Asura had left most of the city pretty shaken, and the town was still being repaired. She slid open her curtains and turned to her dresser, finding a nice tank top and a pair of capris to wear. She moved to the bathroom that sat across from Soul's room. She peeked into the half-open door to see Blaire sleeping at his feet, and Soul's arms spread about his bed. A big gob of drool hanging halfway out of his mouth, which was wide open, bearing his sharp, jagged teeth.

Maka turned back toward the bathroom to get dressed, closing the bathroom door behind her. She slipped off her pajama top and put on her bra, hooking it behind her back. She turned to look at herself in the mirror.

She eyed the large scars on her side; the scars from the wound Asura gave her. Her eyes moved to the markings along the sides of the scar, where the stitches had only been removed just a few days prior. Her scars were four continuous dotted lines in a c-shape formation, with one single scar across from the c-shaped dotted line. They were the scars from Asura's nails digging into her side, which was his strategy to wake her up from her self-put trance during their battle. She went to touch the scar, and snatched her hand away, sucking her teeth as the wound stung from her tentative touch. She shifted her gaze back up to herself in the mirror, staring at her own body. Her torso looked sick and twisted from her new scar, and Doctor Stein even said it was highly unlikely for it to fully heal. Maka's eyes filled with tears, and she wrapped her arms around her own waist, hiding her scar from her mirror. She turned, looking away as she slipped her day clothes on. She couldn't look at herself.


	3. III

Soul gave a half smile down at her, leaning down. Maka stared into his dark red eyes as he lowered a callused hand to her, his palm dry and soft. "Hey," he greeted. Maka cocked her head, taking his hand. He yanked her up to her feet, and they stood there for a moment in silence. Maka blinked, squinting slightly.

"Soul?" She said again. Soul raised an eyebrow, smiling slightly.

"Yes?" He said, mocking her confused tone.

"Did you come with me?"

"You're such an idiot," he laughed, nestling her head. She furrowed her eyebrows at him. "Come on," He said. "It's going to start raining soon-" Soul was interrupted by a bright flash of lightning, immediately followed by a crackle of thunder that echoed and bounced off the buildings. Maka leaned down and grabbed her book, then swung her purse over her shoulder and across her body. She didn't need to be told twice. Soul walked with her out from under the tree and made their way home, hurrying to avoid being stuck in a sudden downpour.

They walked together, keeping pace with each other. They would naturally speed up and slow down with one another, without having to communicate verbally. They didn't even need to look at each other. That was one thing that they had developed over the years of being partners.; they could know what the other was thinking without having to be told. But that was crucial to being weapon and meister- in order to work together, they needed to be able to understand each other. It had brought them closer together, but sometimes they got into heated arguments over the littlest things; sometimes it was over fighting techniques, other times it was over strategies. Sometimes it was even over who last did the dishes. But despite everything, neither one of them could deny that they needed each other. Even if they sometimes hated each other, they still cared about one another. Neither one of them needed to say it, because they both knew it.

"What were you doing out here?" Maka asked, despite knowing full well why he had come to the park. She just needed the silence to be broken between them. It was a relatively long walk home, and she hated walking with him when they didn't have anything to talk about. She felt anxious whenever they walked in silence.

"I planned to invite Black Star to play basketball with me," he explained, motioning to the ball that rested on his hip. "But he was sleeping in."

"Of course he was," Maka rolled her eyes. "What else would you expect from him? He's rarely up early."

"I suppose," Soul sighed. "I was just desperate for something to do." Maka turned to him, raising an eyebrow.

"I would've stayed to wait for you, but you were asleep," Maka explained. "I didn't know how long you'd be sleeping in." Her cheeks grew red from embarrassment. "I don't even know when you got to the park. I must have fallen asleep a couple minutes after I started reading."

"You always fall asleep under that damn tree," Soul laughed. "You did it just the other day!" The air between them grew tense at Soul's mention of Maka's sleeping episode just a couple days ago. Maka had had a nightmare, and Soul had comforted her. He'd grabbed her hand and hugged her. He still remembered feeling her heart beat against his own chest, and smelling the collar of her shirt as they hugged. She had smelled like the fresh cut grass, and she smelled warm from the sun. He breathed slowly, trying to push the thought out of his head. He glanced at Maka out of the corner of his eye. She looked uncomfortable, and her face was contorted in embarrassment. Her cheeks were turning a light shade of pink. He could tell she was thinking about it too.

"Sorry," Soul finally muttered. "I shouldn't have brought it up." Maka felt her face grow even hotter, if that was physically possible. Was it obvious that she was embarrassed? She shook her head, looking down at her feet as they walked.

"No, it's fine. I was careless," She laughed half-heartedly, trying to break the tension between them that was as thick as honey. Her heart felt like it was pounding out of her chest, even though it was beating normally. Her breath felt shallow and borderline ragged. "I don't know what's wrong with me lately," she breathed shakily. "I've been sleeping at least fourteen hours a day... I'm so tired all of the time." She brought her hand to her cheek, trying to get ahold of herself.

"You're fine," Soul said gently, bouncing the ball as they strolled. "I talked to Stein about it the other day; you're probably just exhausted. The battle left you hurt and beat-up, and you way over-exerted yourself. Your body's just recovering." Maka looked up from her feet at him.

"You talked to Stein?" She asked. "What- when did you do that?"

"Hm?" Soul looked down at her. He glanced up, thinking. "Jeez, I don't know... I guess it must have been a couple days after Asura was defeated."

"Why'd you talk to Stein?"" Maka stopped walking, looking at Soul. "Were you... Worried about me?" Soul stopped in his tracks, turning towards her. He sighed, closing his eyes. He knew he shouldn't have brought it up; now she'd know. He took a breath. Well, he thought. I might as well tell her the truth.

"Of course I was." Soul said quietly. Maka was silent for a while, looking at Soul with a confused expression. Suddenly, she turned around and continued walking. "Wait-" Soul stuttered. "You're not going to say anything?" His mouth was agape. He knew she might react in a strange way, but he didn't think she would not react at all. It caught him off guard.

"Nothing needs to be said," Maka stated bluntly. She didn't sound irritated or embarrassed, she just sounded like she was having a normal conversation with her weapon. "I was just curious." Their apartment appeared around the corner, and they climbed the steps as train slowly began to drizzle from the sky. Maka twisted the key in the lock and dashed inside while Soul leisurely made his way up to the door. Maka quickly went into her room and closed the door behind her. Her heart was pounding in her throat, her hands were shaking. Her face felt steaming hot, and her breath was shaky and slow. She covered her mouth, leaned against the door, and closed her eyes tightly as she heard Soul walk in. Maka's heart thumped against her rib cage.

_There's that feeling again_, she thought to herself. It was a feeling in the pit of her stomach that had been in the back of her mind for a couple weeks, but the more time they started spending together while classes were canceled, the closer they got. Maka had always had a deep connection with Soul, and she thought of him as her best friend. But lately, these feelings have... Developed into something else. Something more than just a feeling of trust. But what was the difference between this emotion and the one she first had? The first one was more happiness. This one was just nervous. But it was a good nervous; it was like a desire for something more than a hug. What was it? What did she want from him? She asked herself these questions everyday, but she knew the answer regardless. Of course she knew; she just didn't want to admit it to herself.

She wanted him- _all_ of him. She wanted to be with him

She heard Soul's footsteps tap across the hall, getting closer to her room. He knocked lightly on her white, wooden door.

"Maka?" His voice muffled through the barricade. "What're you doing?"

"Just- um, I'm just-" She stuttered with her words, even her mouth was shaking from nerves. "I just wanted to change." She pressed her back against the door. Soul was quiet outside, until finally he just replied with a slow and confused "okay." She heard his steps grow quieter as he head for the living room, and heard his body flop onto the sofa. Maka let out a sigh as her body slid down the door, and she sat on the floor. She hugged her knees to her chest and rested her forehead on top of her knees. _What a great excuse_, she thought sarcastically to herself. _I'm such an idiot_.

Soul laid on his back, his hands folded behind his head. He stared up at the ceiling, losing himself in thought. Now she's pissed, he thought. She probably was irritated at him butting into Maka's personal business, and he should have seen it coming. He didn't blame her for being uncomfortable; she seemed to be kind of distant lately, especially after that one afternoon- when she had that nightmare. Soul felt like he probably stepped out of line; Maka like to have her personal space kept personal. He felt like he was intruding on her, and he felt bad. Now she was in her bedroom, probably distraught.

And she was- but not in the way Soul thought. She held her hands over her temples, staring at her floor, her knees against her chest. She felt like she was losing her mind again. All this confusion and complication over a guy- and a guy she's known for years. It was stupid. She was stupid- at least she _felt_ incredibly stupid. And she was sure Soul thought she was.

Maka breathed slowly, using the door as support to help her stand. She padded over to her dresser to change, the floor creaking quietly beneath her feet. She glanced out her window, seeing the rain pound on the street and neighboring buildings. Had they been out much longer, they probably would've gotten caught in the rain. Maka didn't want to think about the awkwardness that kind of situation would bring.


End file.
